- Heritage

Stratfield Saye House

After the Duke of Wellington’s victory against Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the Duke chose Stratfield Saye as his country estate. The house provides a fascinating insight into how the 1st Duke lived and contains many of his possessions. It is still occupied by his descendents and is a family home rather than a museum. Over the last six years there has been an extensive programme of restoration and conservation. Of particular interest are many pieces of fine French furniture, porcelain and some rare examples of Print Rooms…

Winchester Cathedral

Explore more than 1000 years of England’s past. Walk in the footsteps of kings, saints, pilgrims, writers and artists in Europe’s longest medieval Cathedral. Uncover the secrets of how a diver saved the Cathedral from collapse and learn why Jane Austen came to be buried in the nave. See the Winchester Bible, the finest of all the great 12th-century manuscripts, illuminated in gold and lapis lazuli…

Cobham Hall

Cohbam Hall, a beautiful red brick Elizabethan, Jacobean, Carolean style mansion, is set in 150 acres of historic Grade II listed landscaped gardens and parkland and described as "one of the largest, finest and most important houses in Kent". The renowned Gilt Hall, originally created in the 17th Century, features a magnificent gilded plaster ceiling and wall decorations and houses one of the only two remaining working historic 18th Century Snetzler Organs. The former seat to the Earls of Darnley, Cobham Hall was used for recuperating Australian Servicemen during the First World War, and was home to the ‘Ashes’, a personal gift to the cricket playing 8th Earl in 1883. The gardens were landscaped for the 4th Earl of Darnley by Humphrey Repton and have recently been restored. They include a number of interesting architectural buildings and follies such as an Aviary, Pump House, an Ionic Temple, Repton’s Seat built in memory of Humphrey Repton by his sons, and a Gothic Dairy. The naturalesque gardens are without doubt beautiful throughout the year, and especially during the Spring, when they are clothed with snowdrops, celandines, narcissi and daffodils, including many nationally rare varieties. Cobham Hall is licensed for Civil Ceremonies and is an ideal venue for weddings, conferences, private functions and large or small corporate events. The Hall is now an independent boarding and day school for girls, attracting girls from the UK and around the World…

Finchcocks Musical Museum

Finchcocks is a Georgian manor set in beautiful gardens, surrounded by parkland and is home to Richard Burnett MBE’s collection of 100 historical keyboards, which are played whenever the house is open. Informal demonstrations/recitals on Open Days, as well as for groups, who can visit in the day or evening…

Groombridge Place Gardens

Set in 200 acres, Groombridge features a series of magnificent, traditional walled gardens - set against the backdrop of a 17th Century moated manor. Plus the ancient woodland of the "Enchanted Forest" where there’s mystery, innovation and excitement for all ages. Packed programme of special events throughout the year. Visit our website for further details…

Hall Place & Gardens

A fine Grade I listed country house built in 1537 for Sir John Champneys, a wealthy merchant and former Lord Mayor of London. The house boasts a panelled Tudor Great Hall, overlooked by a minstrel’s gallery, and various period rooms. The 17th century additions and improvements by Sir Robert Austen include a vaulted Long Gallery and splendid Great Chamber with a fine plaster ceiling. Managed by Bexley Heritage Trust, this beautiful estate of 65 hectares stands on the banks of the River Cray at Bexley. Surrounding the house are award winning formal gardens with magnificent topiary, enclosed gardens and inspirational herbaceous borders. In the walled gardens there is a nursery selling plants grown in the Hall Place gardens, and a sub-tropical glasshouse where you can see ripening bananas in mid-winter. The house has been recently restored and was fully open to the public for the first time in 2009. New displays include an introduction to the house’s history, children’s gallery of Tudor life, and exhibits from Bexley’s extensive museum collection, as well as contemporary art exhibitions. The new visitor centre in the grounds offers a riverside tea room and a gift shop, as well as tourist information. There is an extensive programme of events, art-based activities, concerts and theatre in the house and gardens. Several rooms are available to hire for meetings and events, including the Great Hall and Great Chamber, which are also licensed for civil wedding ceremonies. Bexley Heritage Trust runs a popular education and outreach service and organized activities during the school holidays. Parts of the historic estate are occasionally used for filming and private hire. For this reason it is sometimes necessary to close certain areas of the house and gardens. We recommend that you call in advance of your visit before travelling a long distance or to see a particular feature…

Leeds Castle

Set in 500 acres of beautiful parkland and gardens, Leeds Castle is one of the country’s finest historic properties and is also one of the Treasure Houses of England. A Norman fortress and a royal palace to the medieval and Tudor Kings and Queens of England, the development of Leeds Castle continued well into the 20th century. The last private owner, the Hon Olive, Lady Baillie, bought the castle in 1926, restored the castle and furnished its beautiful interiors. The castle has a fine collection of paintings, tapestries and antiques and is also home to an unusual dog collar museum. The park and grounds include the colourful and quintessentially English Culpeper Garden, the delightful Wood Garden, and the terraced Lady Baillie Garden with its views over the tranquil Great Water. Visit the Aviary, which houses approximately 100 rare and endangered species from around the world or get lost in the twist and turns of the yew Maze with its secret underground grotto. The Knights’ Realm playground delights younger visitors and the ‘World of Wings’ free flying bird displays are a spectacular sight. A highly popular and successful programme of special events is arranged throughout the year, details of which can be found on the website…

Penshurst Place & Gardens

Penshurst Place is one of England’s greatest family-owned historic houses with a history going back six and a half centuries. In some ways time has stood still at Penshurst; the great House is still very much a medieval building with improvements and additions made over the centuries but without any substantial rebuilding. Its highlight is undoubtedly the medieval Barons Hall, built in 1341, with its impressive 60ft-high chestnut-beamed roof. A marvellous mix of paintings, tapestries and furniture from the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries can be seen throughout the House, including the helm carried in the state funeral procession to St Paul’s Cathedral for the Elizabethan courtier and poet, Sir Philip Sidney, in 1587. This is now the family crest. Gardens The Gardens, first laid out in the 14th century, have been developed over successive years by the Sidney family who first came to Penshurst in 1552. A twenty-year restoration and re-planting programme under-taken by the 1st Viscount De L’Isle has ensured that they retain their historic splendour. He is commemorated with an Arboretum, planted in 1991. The gardens are divided by a mile of yew hedges into "rooms", each planted to give a succession of colour as the seasons change, with a major restoration project taking place on the Victorian double Herbaceous border 2009-11. There is also a Venture Playground, Woodland Trail, Toy Museum and a Gift Shop. A variety of events in the park and grounds take place throughout the season…

Turkey Mill

Turkey Mill, in the heart of the Garden of England, in Kent’s county town, Maidstone, represents and preserves the true and natural beauty of Kent itself. It is steeped in local history, originally a fulling mill, it was converted to paper making at the end of the 17th century. Under the ownership of James Whatman, father and son, it became world famous for producing the high-quality paper used by J M W Turner, Thomas Gainsborough and William Blake and for momentous documents including Napoleon’s Will and the Peace Treaty with Japan at the end of the Second World War. Since 1997, the current owners have created a spectacular venue for unforgettable events, maintaining the natural outstanding beauty of the landscape and adding those stylish features that capture modern comfort. The ultimate setting representing the best of "something old, something new". Today, Turkey Mill is a business park and home to more than 60 companies. Alongside the business park are nine acres of award-winning landscaped parklands which include sweeping lawns, huge Wellingtonia Pines and Blue Cedars dating back over 400 years. A beautiful waterfall and lake, through which runs the River Len, make Turkey Mill a memorable venue for Weddings, Corporate and Private Events. The Orangery, completed in 2002, has been aesthetically designed to incorporate all the elements required for both comfort and grandeur. The natural beauty of the water and grounds create a wonderfully tranquil atmosphere as well as unforgettable scenery. Photographic opportunities are endless throughout the grounds providing many wonderful backdrops for filming, photography and product launches. The discreet floodlighting brings the venue to life after dusk…

Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest

The Friends are proud to support the work of the Forestry Commission at the National Pinetum Bedgebury. This partnership has helped to make us the leading outdoor visitor attraction in the South East and to create an internationally renowned conifer collection, which is the most complete in the world. Different aspects of Bedgebury provide exciting children’s play areas, mountain biking for all levels of ability and the tranquillity and beauty of the Pinetum…